Today was our first full day on the the island of Brač. This morning, we visited the Stonemason School, where high school aged students study the traditional Croatian trade. After visiting the school, it opened our eyes to the influence and importance stone masons have on life on the island.
We learned that the school is heavily subsidized by the government as a way to preserve the traditional way and craft of sculpting that is so important to the history and look of Croatia.
Sarah and I were curious to learn, but equally thought it would be a great field-trip-like opportunity for Paige and Sadie. It turned out to be an insightful and enjoyable time for everyone.
Joseph
When we entered the school, there were three teenage boys sculpting. We later learned they were part of a single class. Joseph approached us speaking excellent English (he said he learned because he choose to watch American TV shows when he was little). He offered us a tour and off we went.
Before speaking about the school, we learned about Joesph:
16 years old.
Born & raised on the island of Brač.
His father is a construction worker, his mother a real estate agent.
He has an older sister who is in art school in Split.
He leaves his house every morning at 5:20am, hikes through a forest to take a bus to class each day.
He's in school each weekday 7:05am-1:05pm.
His "class" has a total of three students - they start in the morning with a lesson from their teacher and spend the rest of the day working on their projects.
He didn't want to be a Stone Mason but "he didn't do well enough on his technical examples to work on computers," which was his choice.
Joseph is in a 3 year program at the school.
Stone Cutting
Everything is cut by hand at the school; many of the pieces take many years to complete. All cutting is done on white stone from the island. The stone from Brač has been used in many famous building around the world, including the White House in Washington DC.
About the School
What we learned about the school and programs from Joseph:
Founded in 1909.
64 enrolled students currently (6 are girls).
Boarding students pay $80usd/month to live in dorms above the school.
Joseph After Stone Cutting School
I asked Joseph what he plans to do with his degree. The government provides a stipend of 18,000 Croatian Kuna ($2,600) each year he's in school to help fund his start in the trade after completing the schooling. He is saving that money with plans to buy a particular stone cutting tool that will help him to produce smaller stone items which can be sold to Croatians or tourists visiting Brač. He wants to do this because it's "easy work and you can make a good living."
We learned lots from Joseph and were thankful for his patience while we peppered him with all kinds of questions!
Pučišća
The small town the school is located in was another gem on the Island. Everywhere you turn in Croatia, it's a mind blow!
As we continued our day through Brač, we started to notice that their work was everywhere to be seen!
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